Wednesday, November 14, 2012

An iPad 2 giveaway for kids with special needs

Yes, it's another iPad giveaway for kids with special needs! The iPad and speech app have been game-changers for Max: They've enabled him to quickly and easily share what's on his mind, whether he's asking for chocolate ice-cream, telling someone how much he loves chocolate ice-cream, or requesting a chocolate-ice-cream birthday cake. (See a pattern here?) Every day, I'm grateful for them. And chocolate ice-cream.

CVS Caremark All Kids Can is all about enabling kids; I've been working with them for two years now, and they know just how enabling iPads are for kids with special needs. And so, they've offered to give one away. All together now: woo hoo!

• One iPad Smart Cover in a color of your child's choice, based on available colors ($29).

To enter to win an iPad 2, leave a comment below about how you believe an iPad could benefit your child. No need to get into detail, just share what you want.

Each winner will be asked to provide a letter of need from a speech therapist or doctor in their child's life. The letter from the therapist or doctor must include her qualifications and contact information so that he or she can be called to verify that, indeed, the recipient is a child who will benefit from an iPad 2 and speech app.

This giveaway is open until Sunday, December, 2, 2012 at 11:59 ET. It is open to U.S. and Canadian residents 18 and older.

RULES OF ENTRY

• Valid email address required. I need it so I can reach you if you win. So if your email is not visible on your blog, you will need to leave it with your comment. If there is no email, your entry is disqualified.

• One entry per family, please.

• No entries accepted past the deadline.

WINNER DETERMINATION

• I will choose the winner via the website random.org within 24 hours after the giveaway is closed, and this post will be updated to include screenshots from random.org of the winning comment. I will email the winner at that time.

• If I do not hear back from the winner within five days, another winner will be chosen.

• If a winner does not produce a letter from their child's speech therapist or doctor within two weeks of being informed of the win, another winner will be selected.

GETTING THE IPAD/SMART COVER

• Each winner's iPad 2 and Smart Cover will be ordered within two business days after I confirm information with the child's therapist or doctor. The iPad 2 and Smart Cover will be shipped directly to the winner. The arrival dates will be based on Apple's estimated arrival time.

220 comments:

This is so wonderful! My son Kyle is Autistic, (PDD-NOS) , and while his communication skills are ok in that he can speak most words clearly he has a problem when he gets upset and becomes non-verbal. It makes things so much tougher...thank you in advance for considering him. My email is Jessica.bullerjahn@gmail.com

My daughter has PDD-NOS. Her speech is pretty good, but she tends to regress every so often and starts using baby language and incomplete sentences. I would love for her to recognize the need to express herself properly so she can receive the appropriate response. She wishes for an iPad, but the cost is just too high. Thank you very much. My e-mail is thriftshoplover@yahoo.com

I'm interested in winning the Ipad and speech app for my daughter, Autumn, who was diagnosed PDD-NOS as an infant. Her speech has come a long way but she still needs reinforcement with her expressive and receptive skills outside of school/therapy.Thank you,kayla.c.davidson@gmail.com

Yea! Thank you for doing this. I have two children that would benifit greatly from the use of an iPad. Both of them have Down syndrome and both have hear loss. So the use of a speech app would help them with their articulation and communicating with others.Thanks again!

My 3 & 1/2 son is Autistic, PDD-NOS & he does not speak yet. a word here or there comes out but mostly we communicate through PECS & facial expression. An IPAD for him would greatly improve his chances of speaking more.

We would love one! Emma has CP and is nonverbal. She comes to life when she is presented with an iPad 2 because she loves to look at herself in the camera. She also likes to use com simple communication programs on it and the books, etc. help her to keep her hands open more.kswhite2 (at) gmail (dot) com

I would love one for my son Eli. He has CP and cognitive impairment. He is also nonverbal. He has used one a couple times at school and speech therapy. Communication is something I hope for for the future. malicethemom@yahoo.com

I would also love one for my daughter, Ahnika. She has global developmental delays and CP. She has very limited speech. I've seen her use her fine motor skills much to my surprise when using a borrowed iPad. It holds her attention and she even repeats words and sounds using it. I think it would help her independence skills as well. Good luck to all and thanks for this opportunity!

It would be amazing to hear my daughter Kate's "voice". She has 1p36 Deletion Syndrome and is non-verbal and non-mobile. Every day we make her choices for her and guess at what she wants and needs. If she could learn to communicate through an iPad, a whole new world would open up for her. carriedag@gmail.com

My daughter Erin would really benefit from an ipad with communication software. Her mitochondrial disease has left her non-verbal and there is so much potential that this could unlock! dawn.mathias@yahoo.com

I would love one for my daughter Katie. She has CP and is Non Verbal. Her speech therapist and I have discussed that she might benefit from a easy to use speech app. Thank you so much for helping to do something as wonderful as this. linseyjackson21@gmail.com

My 7yr old son has autism. He also has mitochondial myopathy so he tires easily. The act of writing can completely fatigue him. He would benefit from the iPad to do his school work and communicate. He could use real time chat or have access to the apps to help him with his social skills and also language art deficits. Plus it would help him to explore his creative side with taking pics and drawing and music. ritzyruler@gmail.com

We actually have one for Ian but I know several friends who cannot afford one for their child. Ipads would also be super beneficial in his classroom. They are all nonverbal and ipads are the wave of the future for these kids, in my opinion. Since getting ours a year ago Ian has started reading, he navigates it on his own, he's now identifying money and he is typing and spelling. Amazing, considering the lack of expressive language this kid has.

So, in a nutshell, if I won this, my son's class would benefit greatly. And his speech therapist would BE THRILLED. thedgoddess@gmail.com.

My daughter Madie, now 3, suffered an anoxic brain injury at 14 months as a result of a near drowning accident at her babysitter's home. She is beginning to learn to speak again and an iPad would a HUGE help to her.

Our daughter (9yo) has CP and seizures, and takes speech therapy weekly. She would benefit greatly from an iPad and speech app by having something easy for her to hold and manipulate, and having the app to reinforce what she's doing each week in speech.

Perfect timing! Just yesterday I received a denial from our insurance company that an iPad is NOT durable medical equipment and not necessary for Austin. ARGH!!! He has a hearing impairment, an autism diagnosis, is 5yo and non-verbal, if a kid like him doesn't need it who does!?

My son Elijah has spastic quadriplegic CP. Recently his vocabulary has started to flourish but because of his brain injury, it takes him.some time to respond. Eli goes to a special needs preschool and they use a communication board to encourage his speech. It is the highlight of his day. We would love to give Eli an extra tool to benefit his speech, and help with visual tracking as well ( he has poor vision and has had corrective surgery ). Plesse consider us for your giveaway . Sincerly, Rebecca DoubravaR.doubrava@sbcglobal.net

My son Jacob (11) has cerbral palsey and is non verbal.He was born at 25 weeks and weighed 1 lb 1.11 ounces.Jacob would really benefit from an ipad because we do not own a communication device,when the hospital homebound teacher comes for class at our home she brings something from school for him to use. Jacob's speech therapist also says that an ipad would be ideal for him.Jacob would realy benefit from an I pad...and i want to thank you for everything you do for our children.I think that I would speak for every family out there with a special needs child.....Thank you for all you do and our children really are NOT forgotten.THANK YOU!!!!

My daughter Charlotte is 3 years old and has CP. She is able to speak but has dysarthia and receives weekly speech therapy. Sometimes her speech is very difficult to understand especially when emotions are running high. She also has limited use of her right hand and I've seen her motivated to try more with others' ipads. Thanks for the generous giveaway!

My son Alex is 4. He was a 27 weeker with SIUGR, had a trach for several years, has mild hemi-paresis, fine & gross motor delays, motor planning difficulties, and is non-verbal. We've tried several "low tech" communication devices at school, but he has a hard time figuring out how hard to push the buttons to make them talk, and low tech things don't give many words for a child to say. He signs some, but his signs are confusing because of the fine motor issues he has. He's super interested in letters right now, and I think apps that helped him with reading and typing would also be awesome, because we are still working on drawing straight lines.

I would love for my 3 yr old daughter Brooke to win the Ipad. She is PDD-NOS and is mostly non verbal.I feel an Ipad would greatly improve her chances of speaking more. I wish I could buy her one but unfortunately can not afford.my email is momof2princesses13@yahoo.com

Our son Chase would love an Ipad, we had the Ipad 1 but it is now broke:( He has CP and his Speech therapist LOVES Ipads, wish they could make an app to stop drool :)My email is Theac215@aol.comThanks for this giveway!Thea

My daughter, Sophia, has a severe hearing impairment. She is entering middle school and the classroom content is getting more and more complex. Though hearing technology is of great help to her, she still misses information. She has difficulty taking notes (which requires looking down at her paper) while listening to her teacher (which requires her to look up and face-read). An IPAD would be tremendously helpful to her, as the Dragon feature would enable the teacher's words to appear as text on her screen. She'd have better comprehension in class and a full set of notes for later review. Thank you for this opportunity! Jennifer jennifer.amy.rosner@gmail.com

My son has special needs, including cognitive impairment, sensory issues and issues with speech, and he is absolutely in love with the ipad he gets to use occasionally at school. It's so intuitive to use that I think it would help him with learning and his motor skills! travelingwithkids@hotmail.com

Writhing on behalf of my three hearing imparied children who were diagnosed late (by hearing standards) jsut at the cusp of speech development. At first diganosis, they scored as low as 1st percentile in domains of speech/language, articulation, etc against hearing peers. We have worked so hard with EI, integreated preschools, school system augmented with private speech to get them on par before the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. The oldest is almost there but siblings are struggling. Love to have an iPad just for them to combine drills, growth and fun of learning in a technology platform and apps designed just for them!

My daughter, Ruby Doobs, is rockin an extra chromosome! She is almost two and we have been working with flashcards and site words. An Ipad would be a game changer as far as mobile fun and new apps for her to learn from. Her being born with Down syndrome has been the most remarkable gift of our lives and we want to ensure we do everything right so she can be all she can be! My email is lizardbb2000@yahoo.com

My son is 10 with CP, developmental delay, moderate hearing loss. He's able to speak his basic needs, but anything beyond wanting to eat, sleep, or be changed he has difficulty and becomes angry and frustrated. An ipad with communication app would hopefully be a great tool to ease his frustration. Thank you for this amazing opportunity!!

My 10 year old son, Levi was born with a chromosome abnormality, no specific syndrome but he is Intellectually disabled with learning delays. He is in an EC classroom and receives speech and occupational therapy. I have heard about many apps available that would greatly benefit him. Thanks for this opportunity!melindawr@gmail.com

My daughter Tanis is 4 and has Cerebral Palsy, she has just begun to speek small words such as dog, and daddy, we come from low income and think this would be an awesome tool to help further her speech and learning. Thank you, Mark , Tanis's dad.Phil121@hotmail.com

Hi my daughter Ayla has cp and general developmental delay with a gtube. She was an iugr preemie and had worked so hard since birth. Even though she had made great progress she is still working on talking and eating more efficiently. An iPad would not only be good to assist her sometimes incomprehensible speech, but also enable her to work on fine motor through special apps. Thanks!Kidtoothdrlaura@aol.comLaura

My 14 year old boy has CP and would really benefit from the use of an iPad. He has difficulty in school and this would enable him to use the speech software to keep up with his schoolwork. emhansen93@gmail.com

My son Silas has Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy, Epilespy, and Microcephaly. Silas loves to coo and would benefit greatly from this where he would be able to define what he needed better, I feel he'd be a big fan of chocolate ice cream if he weren't GJ-Tube Fed! :-) Thank you so much for this opportunity to enter him in!!! P.S. Max is lovely!!! Great energy! My email is melissa.ford@maine.edu

A young girl I am a casemanager for struggles in all areas of daily living. She is unable to speak to communicate, however, at school she has shown great results using the school I-Pad in the classroom. Her grandmother/legal gaurdian has wanted her to have an I-Pad for so long, however, is unable to afford one. The school I-Pad has helped her increase her skills in communication and fine motor as well as her academics. This would mean so much to the family if she were selected.

Hi! Not writing for me, but for a family whose blog I read. http://www.allarepreciousinhissight.com/They have 10 children, 3 of which could really use this ipad immediately. Some of the special needs her lovely children have: non-verbal, speech/language delays, mentally disabled/mentally challenged, learning delays, communication delays, global developmental delays, Dyslexia, fine motor delays, receptive language delays… That's just to name a few. The family can be contacted at BossYourHeart@gmail.com. Thanks for such an amazing giveaway...

My daughter Bria would truly benefit from an Ipad becuase it will afford her the opportunity to communicate more with others, foster her reading skills as she is 20 but her reading level is at a kindergaten level and this is a luxury that i can not afford her at this time and it is very time consuming and costly to keep purchasing workbooks on her level. Thank you for even the thought of a chance at aiding in learning.dt3brown@yahoo.com

My 13 year old daughter Bailey Elizabeth uses an iPad in speech therapy at school. However, she cannot remove the iPad from her therapist's room therefore the iPad advantages end there. Bailey begins high school next year (which by the way has me scared to death!) and I know that continued use of an iPad through the summer and beyond would be a great help to her. Thank you kindly,Brandi Hardingemail: brandi_blue_76@yahoo.com

I am a single mother with no outside source of child support. My son has moderate-severe bilateral hearing loss. He wears two hearing aids except during sleep and in the water. He just entered an integrated preschool when he turned 3 last week. Having an i-pad will help him as he progresses in school. I am a teacher, so know how useful this would be to his education. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this giveaway!!! Heidi Kaiter hkaiter@hotmail.com

My son is nonverbal. He struggles with the motor coordination for speaking. He would do so well with speech apps and communication. We just can't afford one right now while paying all the other medical bills. Both he and his brother have x-linked intellectual disabilities so I can see it being useful for a long time.am369@njit.edu

My little guy is hard of hearing, but has a lot to say! We've had quite a few challenges with communication, from basic conversations to directives for routines like getting ready in the morning. There are so many apps out that that help with communication and with listening skills. It would be so helpful to be able to take advantage of technology.

I have 2 children with Asperger's. My daughter also has an anxiety and panic disorder. An ipad would give my children the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the world and social situations before they enter into them. They could work on recognizing emotions and communicate when they are too overstimulated to participate in life. It would be an amzing tool for our family. Life can be very overwhelming in our house as my husband travels often and it is difficult for me to juggle the needs of 3 children especially when two of them have such high needs. Thanks for offering the opportunity to win something that people otherwise cannot afford! bertha10715@hotmail.com

My son would benefit with learning in his way. His cousin could also benefit from the use of it.. she has very few words as of yet. THank you for doing the giveaway. Who ever wins it will be blessed jonhadley@bellsouth.netTammy

Having two little boys with Down syndrome speech is coming along very slowly. Our youngest came to us through international adoption at 1 1/2 and was non verbal. Slowly but surely we are getting more sounds from him but feel they both would benefit from having an ipad to help them in all areas of development.

This is wonderful! I have two children who would benefit from an IPad. My son is an the autism spectrum and has delays in his speech, and fine and gross motor skills. My daughter, home from China for one year, is Deaf in one ear and has minimal hearing in the other. She just received a hearing aid at 7 and gets frustrated when others don't understand her. She also has a cleft palate and DiGeorge Syndrome. She had open heart surgery last December for Tetralogy of Fallot.Thanks again,Debbi Lcolinjamessmomma@yahoo.com

Wow, Miss. Natalee is 9 and has brain abnormalities and Seizures. Her speech is very limited, with a lot of frustration trying to speak legible words, and getting us to understand her needs. I am a single parent of three children with special needs. Thank you so much for this opportunity. Patriciallb5@gmail.com Patricia Bannister

My 3 1/2 year old son has Autism, and he struggles to put words together and communicate. He would certainly benefit from an iPad. Plus, he's obsessed with videos so the entertainment value would be priceless. =)

My child has one at school. It allow her to be like everyone else. It lets her count, reconize numbers and shape. Thats so important to kids to be able to learn what typicals are leaning. It helps learns sounds and wods so when she able to talk when her brain process it she will have those words, Ipad are magic. I ish every child with special needs has one.

I have a 3 year old son who was diagnosed late (at 2 1/2) with hearing loss. He wears 2 hearing aids. He also had a condition called ITP where he needs to get (all day) infusions for low platelets at the hospital every 6-8 weeks. He would greatly benefit from an iPad. I have an iPod which is a very small screen for him to watch movies on while he is at the hospital. It would be SO wonderful to sit with him with a larger screen while he focuses on other visual and audio stimulation!Debbie

My oldest son has PDD-NOS and we've been trying to save up for an ipad since we've heard about all the great apps on it to help his development, especially since he is about to hit the 3 year-old mark which of course means we will lose our ECI services. Seems like our ipad funds go down the drain every couple months though with our terrible car troubles. We would love to win one to help with his development. seamsterj@yahoo.com

My son Cooper was born with a cleft of the palate, which got repaired at age one, but at age 4 was dx with severe apraxia of speech and pdd-nos. His communication skills are very poor and his fine motor skills as well. An iPad would definitely benefit Cooper for his speech, needs, wants and emotions. Fingers crossed!!! Go Coop!!!!

My son, Alex is 11 years old. He has Down syndrome and is non-verbal. He has used an iPad at school and it opened up his world! He was able to participate in group activities, and communicate with friends. It would be so wonderful if he had one of his own. It would be fantastic if we were to win one for him! my email address is: bergbunchmamma@gmail.com

My 12 year old son Caleb, has multiple disabilites. He is non-verbal and making slow progress with the PECS system. But LOVES to use the iPad they have in his class. I would love to introduce him to a whole new world of being able to communicate what he wants, without getting so frustrated. Thank you for the opportunity to win. mandykirk@gmail.com

My daughter is 4 years old and has autism and a chromosome abnormality. She is very attracted to technology and has used an iPad in therapy sessions - and she REALLY REALLY loves it! She's not really motivated by much, but the iPad really gets her going. Whenever she has access to one, her pointing is really nice, and if she had one of her own, it would really go a long way to help with her fine motor skills. My email is rita.lung@gmail.com. Thanks for the opportunity.

We are at the beginning of our autism journey. My 2 year old son lost his vocabulary over the summer and is now non-verbal. He uses the iPad during his different therapies, and I would appreciate the ability to continue his learning at home.Jamie.gilreath.watson@gmail.com

My daughter, Sawyer, has Angelman Syndrome and is completely nonverbal. We have been discussing purchasing the iPad along with the LAMP Words for Life app for her! Its just not in the budget anytime soon. This would be a God send for our family! My email address is jcarter321@gmail.com

My son, Tommy, is 9 years old and has PVL and cerebral palsy. In the last year he has made remarkable progress all the way around in his development. He is nonverbal and cannot communicate via sign language. He has begun to use his index finger to activate toys and switches, and we are so excited! We and his neurologist know he understands us when we speak, we can see it in his eyes. He is finally "coming out" and interacting. The ipad would be a perfect conduit for him. Thanks! My email is debjobt@gmail.com

My little man has a moderate developmental delay, severe speech delay due to an auditory processing disorder and brain damage from a metabolic disease. However, he is going pretty well in his special ed class and looks "normal" the world. I've always thought that an augmentative device, like the iPad, would be wonderful for him (speech wise) but always felt bad entering because there are others that need it more. As he approaches the age of 5 though, his school is pushing back on funding and I feel like time is slipping through our fingers and he NEEDS something like this sooner, rather than later, so that his frustrations will ease a bit and he can communicate better. Thank you for the chance to win!

My 7 year old daughter Sierra is completely nonverbal due to a chromosomal abnormality. She is a happy little girl with a lot to say, but she just can't. Although moderately delayed in all areas, she is severely delayed in speech and the only should she makes is "ah". However her comprehension is good and I think she would make great strides if she had an AAC device. I feel there are so many thoughts and ideas trapped in her little head just waiting to come out!

I am entering for my 16 year old son Jared, He has Autism, ADHD/ODD, Sensory Disorder, Bi-Polar, and developmental and mental delay's, He also has a hx of seizures which caused hypoxia. Although he does speak well thanks to wonderful early intervention and years and years of Speech Therapy having an iPad to use for himself for Therapy needs with his BSC and home would benefit him greatly with all the social and educational apps since he on functions on about a 5'th grade level. Thank you for the Opportunity to enter.

My 5 year old grandson Aidyn has cp. He would love to be able to use an ipad to further his progress in speech therapy.Thank you for the opportunity to win an ipad for him.Aidyn's Mia my email ispandawanda49@gmail.com

Wow, we could SOOOOOO use an iPad for several of our kiddos with special needs. We have two sons, both adopted from Ukraine, who have Down syndrome. Both are non-verbal and could use the iPad for learning to communicate. We have a 2-year-old daughter, adopted domestically, who has multiple brain malformations and disorders who could use the iPad for a variety of reasons, including occupational therapy/fine motor skills, as well as receptive and expressive language/communication. We also have a 20-year-old daughter, adopted from Haiti, who is mentally/intellectually impaired and speech impaired, who could use the iPad for speech, language, communication, and learning in general. We also have a 7-year-old daughter, adopted domestically, who is learning impaired with profound ADHD who could use the iPad for help with reading and learning in general. We have a 12-year-old son (biological) who has Dyslexia and ADHD who could use apps created to help common learning issues for Dyslexic students. All of our children with special needs could use the iPad for learning in general. Such an awesome tool that we would be most grateful to win!!!BossYourHeart {at} gmail {dot} com

My daughter is 18 months and has downs. She has had five surgeries already and is lucky to have an outstanding medical team of therapists who work with her. They already use ipads for their sessions often, and her eight year old brother would be eager to help her with a variety of uses of the ipad. He already reads to her and works with her so much.padgettmozingo@gmail.com

I'm a single mom of a son with Asperger's, ADHD, Immune Deficiency, and the beginnings of OCD. An iPad with 3G/cellular would help to calm my son as well as teach him strategies/skills via apps.We currently homeschool because my son suffered trauma at the public school. So, the iPad would also be extremely useful to us for academics!bookcaseliz@yahoo.com

I would love to win an Ipad for my son, Logan. He will be 6 in April. He was diagnosed as developmentally delayed, hypotonia, sensory issues, and he has a g-button. He will not eat table food because of a texture aversion that he has. He gets the majority of his nutrition from pediasure that he will drink out of a sippy cup. He also gets a blenderized diet fed through his g-button 2-3 times a day for extra nutrition. His occupational therapist works with him on his eating issues and has made alot of progress with him by using her Ipad and different Ipad apps that she has, as a reward system to encourage him to want to eat.

Thanks for having this giveaway...Melissa Carpentercarpenter.melissa@att.net

Thanks for hosting this giveaway! My son would greatly benefit from an iPad as he is non-verbal and has musculo-skeletal conditions that prevent him from utilizing other AAC devices. Sure appreciate this opportunity :)

This would be wonderful for my son! Camden is 4 years old & has Cerebral Palsy, global developmental delay, & hypotonia. I have seen him use the Ipad in both occupational & speech therapy & know it would open up a whole new world to him! -- Holly hollyselmer@gmail.com

I would LOVE for my son, Caleb, who is 12 yrs old with spastic quad CP to be able to have and i-pad with a speech ap. He is non verbal and I think this would greatly help to improve his communication and help with his education. His Speech Therapist uses one with him and so does his teacher at school but he really needs one of his own.

Our 4-year-old son Brett has CP and is considered non-verbal - but has found lots of ways to effectively communicate to others. He uses an AAC device, but through using an iPad at school has learned skills such as pointing to select - huge achievement. An iPad would provide him with additional opportunities to expand his language, learn and explore. teamjody@comcast.net

We have been blessed with a houseful of children 23-9 years. The youngest 3 all have varying degrees of special needs. Our 9y/o has ODD, anxiety,behavioralchallenges and is learning an entirely "new" language as she adapts from life in a Russian orphanage to homeschool family USA. Our 11 y/o is also from Russia, she has speech issues, auditory learning block & dyslexia symptoms. Our 15y/o bio daughter has had several brain surgeries that started at just 3 days old for congenital hydrocephalus,VP shunt, Arnold Chiari resulting in Laminectomy of C1,craniosynostosis, ortho issues and is currently recovering from a tendon transfer in her spastic arm to improve function and appearance. The younger girls practice on the desk computer listening to proper pronunciation, but this is not portable, or does not help them when they are not with me to interpret for them. They are all such special blessings to our family. I was "medically terminated" from my position as a Firefighter/Paramedic resulting from a back injury. An Ipad is an "extra" that we can no longer afford, but would love to have for our kids educational needs. Thank you for this great gift to whomever receives it. Julia, Zoya, & Desiree's mom.. Flmedicmom69@yahoo.com (Sue Brower)

I would love to have an IPad for my son, James. He has spastic quad CP, developmental delays and low vision. He is able to make some sounds and says the word "hi", but otherwise is unable to communicate, however his language comprehension seems to be quite good. I would love to see him able to express himself with a speech app.Thank you for the opportunity, and for all the great things you do for awesome kids!

I keep trying to get this to show as posted, so apologize if it appears more than once. Our son max is 4 yrs old has ASD and is non-verbal. He is understanding so much but is frustrates because he cannot express his feelings and needs verbally. The ipad would assist him in communicating. Email: sgilgenbach@gmail.com

Our son was able to use one of these when he was at Shriners for surgery last month. It was a life saver! It really helped him remain calm when things were stressful! He could get his point across and helped us keep him distracted during some of the procedures.

My son who is almost 6yrs old, is non-verbal(so far), he uses some signs, communication is his largest barrier. He has SPD, CHD, Dandy Walker Variant and also has Down syndrome, he has overcome multiple medical issues and is a wonderful little boy. He has used an ipad before and took right too it. It would be so awesome to relieve his frustrations and be able to win an ipad to help with his communication.

My son would benefit by having access to apps that facilitate communication and bring him closer to his typical peers and siblings. He would have a portable, and easily adaptable, schedule to follow, reducing anxiety and behaviors. When he goes for a blood draw or doctor appt., the iPad would help distract him. We could also use the iPad as a reward for completing tasks or good behavior. Thank you. bernofam@gmail.com

My son Joseph (twinB) is 2. He has diplegic cerebral palsy and receives many therapies. speech feeding occupational soon to come and botox shots. he's very sweet and has been through so much. everytime his speech/feeding therapist comes by she uses the IPad to help mot only with hid pointing but with saying animal names songs making different noises and even counting. he really loves it and it has helped him with his speech in so many ways. it would be great to win this because it would help all my children put simcr they all have a different need, and we really can't afford one. Claritar.Ventura@gmail.com

my ten year old daughter is autistic (PDD-NOS) non verbal and has had great success using the school ipad to communicate. we are not in a place where we could afford to buy one for her, which would have a great influence on our lives! She has so much frustration in trying to communicate her wants and needs, winning this ipad would be a wonderful blessing for her!

This would be a wonderful tool for my daughter she has a rare chromosome defect that has caused her developemental delay in every way. She is almost six, not sure when or if a vocabulary will develop, she was able to use an ipad with success last school year. Would love this tool for her. qltlvr5@comcast.netwww.lillian-takeawalkwithme.blogspot.com

NADIA NOVEMBER 14,2012 6:45PM ,THANK U FOR THIS OPORTUNITY ,I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE I PAD FOR MY DAUGHTER,SHE WAS BORN WITH HYPERINSULINMIA ,ALSO HAVE FEEDING TUBE AND HASE A SPEECH DELAY ,I WOULD LIKE HER TO HAVE THE I PAD TO HELP HER DEVELOPE HER LANGUAGE SKILLS CHAMOUSSA08@HOTMAIL.FR

My son would benefit very much from having his own iPad. My son is 7 yrs old and is diagnosed with autism and has a speech delay. He has used iPads at therapies and they have helped him very much with speech, academics, and also with social skills. It would be very nice to have this tool available more than one or two hours a week while at therapy.

I am a teacher of students with special needs. Every day, I teach a multitude of students with speech and language difficulties. I have worked with students on iPads before. However, I am a recent graduate, I have 2 endorsements (in teaching students with cognitive and emotional impairments), and I do not have a full-time teaching position, so I move around a lot, and am only able to use resources at my current school(s). If this does not qualify me for the giveaway because I do not technically have a child, I understand. But I would be thrilled if I could win, because my students could benefit tremendously from this technology! My contact info is in my blogger profile!

Hi my 4 year old has an unballanced translocation which has cause her to have global develomental delays. She does not talk and she is starting to get a little frustrated when we can't understand what she is trying to say. I know she would get a huge benefit from an IPad. Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate. My email is: nabaca@yahoo.com

Love the site! I have 2 15 yr old sons with autism. Ian is non verbal and has just started to use Proloquo2go on an iPod touch. I am hoping he can eventually type out sentences but the iPod touch is too small so I would love an iPad to have a bigger screen to work on this with him. Thanks so much!tricia0526@comcast.net

Thank you for the opportunity. My son Aiden is autistic and non-verbal. He would benefit greatly with using such a device to communicate. We actually are trying to raise money to purchase one for him but winning one would be amazing. We know it will help give him a voice. crosales5@hotmail.com

My daughter has cp and until age 9 was considered being globally delayed. An ipad is actually what we're trying to get her into especially since she is non-verbal. Being able to express herself would be amazing! kglover83@hotmail.com

Our daughter, Tia, was diagnosed at birth with moderate bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and requires the use of hearing aids for the development of speech and language. She is 3 years old and without her hearing aids she is deaf and relies on American Sign Language to communicate. Her speech pathologist and teachers use the IPAD with her and it makes such a tremendous difference in her expressive and receptive language. I know that this device would help her succeed along side her hearing peers. What an amazing gift!! Thank you for caring about the kids who sometimes get forgotten. tiashaycameron@comcast.net

my son zachary has apraxia and it is very difficult for him to tell us what he wants or needs without being to say the words. his speech therapist uses an ipad during some sessions and he is really started to make progress with it and i want to be able to use it at home. Meredith merryc2008@gmail.com

My 4-year-old son has autism & a heaping dose of sensory processing disorder. I think the benefits of an ipad would be immeasurable (and would probably also buy me enough time to take a shower in the morning, without spending those 3.5 minutes worrying that he's found a new & exciting way to kill himself while I'm rinsing the shampoo out of my eyes!). =)

We are about 5 months into the world of speech therapy with our youngest son. After a quiet 2 and 1/2 years, we're finally getting sounds with a little meaning. He LOVES when our speech therapist brings her ipad to the house. And I'm amazed by how engaged he is during these times with her. This would be a fantastic way him and I to work together when she is not with us. Thanks for posting, and for thinking of us!

My 3year old with cp would benefit from an ipad. She has global delays and is nonverbal. Thanks for the opportunity to enter and happy that one of these great kids will receive it!Jilltinsley4@ymail.com

My daughter is four with hypotonia development delay sensory processing disorder, global delay autistic and non verbal. I really need one to help her with speech I've been out of work so this would be so amazing to help my daughter succed and get better for her to communicate with her. Thank you for your time lici3504@gmail.com

My autistic would benefit greatly from an iPad. He much prefers electronics to paper & pencil for most of his schoolwork and it motivates him to complete it. Thanks for this opportunity! Comet63@aol.com

My son is in college and has to walk everywhere for class and study hall. He has no car so he constantly walks and drags all his textbooks with him everywhere. It would be great to get him an Ipad that he could download his textbooks onto and carry that instead of all those books

My son, Dylan is 14yr. old and verbal only to people he knows well. He will not talk to anyone he is not around daily. He was just given a speech machine to use at school, but not at home. We worry constantly about his need for independance and he is unable to be understood verbally by someone who is not familar with him. He would benefit greatly with an Ipad app., but are unable to afford one.Thank-you for considering him for this give-away. dylsyx@gmail.com

a specialneeds child is like an angel, everyone deserves to win. for the past 20 years i have been the caregiver to a person with profoundmr/cp. his timetable on learning has baffled all the professionals. i was there when at 15 he took his first steps with assisitance, something that we were told could never happen.in the recent months he has become interested in his siblings ipad, reaching for the images, looking at the screen, he is now 29. when he was still in school we tried every communication device , he never had sucess, eirther was not interested, or not able to activate the controlls. because of the impass ,we unfortuatantly have not been eligable for a device, i am with him everyday, i know he has a voice, we just have not been able to acess it. because of the staffing issues and the daily grind of caring for him, communication has been put on the back burner. i have a hard time getting a day off let alone asking for an ipad. it took 15 years for him to take his first step, maybe 30 will be his first words. mcclainstudios@comcast.net

i am entering to win the ipad for my daughter!! she is deafand has cochlear implants. Although her speech is getting better, she has a very hard time communicating with people, especially with those not around her all the time. She gets very frustrated and will distance herself when this happens!!!Thank you for this chance!!! bowlermomof3@yahoo.com

I would like to enter my son, Hunter for the Ipad giveaway. Hunter has CP and seizures. His speech is very hard to understand. He uses an Ipad at school with Proloquo and does fantastic. Would love for him to have one for home use and out in the community. He tries so hard but gives up communicating with people after 2 tries of them not understanding him. He is a whiz at electronic devices. Thank you for giving all the families a chance to win this for their child!!! sldmh5@hoptmail.com

I would like to enter my son Stephen in the giveaway. He is 7 and has asperger's syndrome. He also stutters particularly when upset or excited. His therapist currently uses an Ipad to work with him at school and it would be helpful to utilize those same resources at home as well. lstarasta@cel61.com

How amazing! I would like to enter my daughter for a chance to win. She's 5yrs old get name is Brianna and she has a very rare form of Trisomy, being Trisomy 4P and a rare brain disorder called Agenesis of theCorpus Callosum which means she's missing the center of her brain that transfers information from the left to the right side if get brain. Besides her poor health she's most affected by speech. This makes it difficult when she's sick that she's not able to tell us what hurts. The words she does speak are primarily words only me and dad understand. After her6th surgery in Aug & a 44 day hospital stay she has been prohibited to return to school due to the risk of being exposed to viruses something her lungs may not tolerate at this moment. So now she cannot go to school and continue her speech therapy where they were using an iPad with her. Were working on home school but that's less hours and speech promotion not actual speech therapy with a speech therapist. I know this would enhance her communication relieving lots of frustration from her. Thank you for considering us and good luck to everyone.

Charity Haigler mother to Thomas Haigler e-mail haiglerfam@yahoo.comThomas was normal and healthy but at two in 2008 became sick with Encephalitis because of accidently getting two chicken pox vaccines. He no longer can talk or walk and has uncontrolled epilepsy. His OT has an I Pad and he loves it, he can touch and make bubbles and it helps him with his vision also because he can watch the animals move. I would love for him to have this available to him!!

My son is deaf (wears a CI & HA and has mutiple disabilities. Winning this would help him with his therepies. I've heard there are many wonderful apps that he would benefit from and since I can't afford one, this would be a great Christmas gift! Thanks for the opportunity!!

Just found your blog. I have a three yo with Down syndrome and am also working on helping to revamp our church's kids'programs to be more user friendly for those with special needs. Looking forward to searching through your site for ideas.

My daughter is 5, non verbal, and has autism and epilepsy and all that comes with that....though nonverbal she has a knack for technology. In 3 sessions she has learned to manipulate her speech therapists iPad using proloque2go. She is communicating! Little by little I see that beautiful personality expressing her wants and needs. Her own iPad would be a blessing. Technology gives me hope that she will have a passion that will grow into a trade or skill. She is amazing :) btw, her fathers insurance excludes autism therapies so this would definately be helpful in doing therapy at home...

Just heard about your blog from our project coordinator in DPH. My older son Jerry is a deaf with other special needs. We explored many programs to let him learn language and speech. I found we need a help or tips to teach him how to proper behavor and social skills. Look forward to finding great tips or method from your blog.

THIS IS AMAZING! My son Shawn is 12 years old has been wheelchair bound his whole life due to ceberal palsy. Anything techy seems to really help him! At school he plays the Wii all day, lol.. sounds crazy but he plays tennis and wow it has done wonders for him.. Therapy also consists of Wii as well as the school iPad. I would so love to get an iPad for him. The Dr. recommended that we get one to work with him at home, only problem is we have four other children so spending that kind of money on something is so hard.... Thanks so much for this chance and good luck to everyone there is so many awesome stories here!

My 4yr old son has a speech and language delay. He really responds to the speech software on the iPad when he uses it with his speech pathologist and it would be great to have one for him to use at home. Thank you! I can be reached at rodriguez_maria@yahoo.com.

What a blessing this would be to win for my youngest daughter and for my nephew. I babysit for my sister on the weekends so I have my 6 year old daughter who is autistic and my 7 year old nephew who has ADD and is not on medication. I have heard about the ipad and the awesome apps. This would definitely lead for some entertaining time for the children.

My some Aidan....he is a very spirited child. He has a dual DX of PDD-NOS and severe hearing loss. Aidan has used an iPad at his school before and it has opened so many doors for him. At home however his communication isn't so easy to understand. He gets frustrated. We use a picture board at home and sometimes this helps. He does sign, but he gets frustrated and confused alot when signing something he wants.I beleive this would be a great tool for him and I to develop better communication.Jenniferjenny64@gmail.com

My little man Alex is 6 and has Autisim, Anxiety and often just retreats into his own safe world. When he is able to use a friends ipad or on at OT his voice is heard and he seems to be able to come out into the world around him instead of becoming more withdrawn. As a single parent an ipad is just not in our budget currently but would be a true game changer!

My daughter has a bilateral hearing loss, she wears a cochlear implant on one side and a hearing aid on the other. She just started preschool and uses an iPad with her speech pathologist and teacher of the deaf. Winning this iPad would benefit her greatly to be able to transfer what she learns at school to our home as she can get quite frustrated. Thank you for this opportunity and I can not wait to visit your blog again!!

Janine has Cri du chat syndrome, which for her includes severe apraxia of speech and fine motor difficulty. She loves the iPad and does amazing things at school and at therapy appts. We are hopeful to get our own so that we can install a communication app and have consistency across all her settings.

Writing on behalf of my almost three year old daughter with Usher Syndrome. She is profoundly deaf and has two cochlear implants. She loves using her SLP's ipad and it would be wonderful for her to utilize the same apps to improve her spoken words as well as access information on sign language.

My son, Max has hypotonic CP. He turned 2 in August but his expressive verbal skills are limited to just a couple of sounds (ma and ba) due to the fact that his hypotonia affects EVERY part of his body- tongue to toes. We have been working on ASL, but even that is tough because his fingers are "floppy" too. We know his receptive language is excellent, and we are all quite certain that he has a lot to say...but he is getting so frustrated (head banging tantrums--argh) with not being able to get his wants/words across. His speech therapist says an iPad would be a great tool for him for communication because they are small and simple to use (compared to other AACs)... for what it is worth, his OT thinks that it would be great too for working on his fine motor skills.ericajstone@yahoo.com

Our two children have hearing loss and were born without parts of their arms and several digits. Writing is tiring for them. They would benefit from an ipad to help with writing and the speech app to help them with their speech. Other speech apps, such as speech to text app and text to speech apps would be very beneficial as well.

My daughter has global developmental delay and has severe articulation difficulties as well as learning difficulties. She is SO motivated by anything technologically-based. She has the occasional opportunity to use an iPad and it would make a world of a difference to her growth and development

My email: Jaxrose10@yahoo.com. My son has bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and was diagnosed at birth. We got him into EI right away but were mislead and he did not receive speech therapy for the first 17 months of his life when we thought he was. Our son is now 3.5 years old and only really started to speak 3 months ago, but is about a year behind in his speech. This IPAD could help him develop the confidence and increase his ability to use the same technology in multiple learning environments. Thanks for this opportunity.

Thank you for this opportunity,My son collin is non-verbal and relies totally on a devise to communicate. as he grows he is held back with the technology he uses. He gets really frustrated when he cant express what he wants to say. He has been exposed to the ipad at school. His theropist also feels this would be the best devise for him to use through life. Thanks again Mschroder1202@yahoo.com

What an awesome giveaway! I would LOVE to win this for my son Dylan who just turned two. He has mild to moderate autism, and is non-verbal. His ABA therapist uses the iPad with him to help teach him the alphabet, and she also uses it as a reinforcer and motivator. I can't afford to buy an iPad right now, so this would be a fantastic gift for him!melissa.camacho@yahoo.com

My son, Ryan, 17, was diagnosed with Duplication of Chromosome 7q11.23 this past March; we are still learning what exactly this is and what potential problems it could cause. Ryan was verbal, very verbal, until about two years ago, when he developed a severe stutter at which time we reentered speech therapy. Ryan made some gains, but his stuttering cont'd to grow and his gains started to decline. It is now to the point where I haven't heard my son speak a full sentence (without a lot of prodding and taking about a half an hour) in almost two full years. His speech therapist seems to believe that, because he was verbal for so long, he just cannot accept his sudden speech issue (stuttering) and is basically refusing to talk at all until it "goes away" which it most likely won't. She has recommended a program to assist him in communicating with his family as well as in school, which is suffering because of his non-communicating, Tap2Talk, for which I would need either an iPad or some kind of eReader device. At this time, as a single mother barely making ends meet despite working two jobs, that seems like a wish list that could never be fulfilled. I believe this program would help Ryan tremendously in being able to finally communicate openly, w/o having to write or gesture as he does now, and would help immensely in school as well and I just cannot afford the cost of an iPad on my own. I would have no problem getting a recommendation from his speech therapy as well as his teacher and the school principal. If you are offering any more of these iPad giveaways or know of someone who is or some organization who is, please keep my son, Ryan, in mind so he can start communicating again both at home and at school and elsewhere. It is extremely difficult for him to accept that this has happened to him especially since he, at one point, was verbal and this is a very disturbing transition that he just cannot accept. Please help. My email address is jhens1998@yahoo.com.

My 5 year old twins Kyle and Lauren have SMA, a type of muscular dystrophy. They do not have challenges with communicating, but they are unable to adequately grasp a pen or pencil and press down hard enough to really see what they've written. The act of writing something as simple as their names is physically exhausting enough that they must take a short rest afterward. The swipe-screen technology of an iPad would open up a new world to them! I know the screen is sensitive enough to recognize their light touch, and overall the device can intellectually challenge these smart kiddos in ways that traditional toys for their age group cannot. Thanks, CVS! byrd dot cass at gmail dot com

We would love to have one for our Deaf daughter, Erin, who is wearing a cochlear implant. We are Deaf parents so having ipad and speech app. would be useful for her to develop her listening and speaking skills. Thank you, my e-mail address is mdmunro3@gmail.com.

Lucy is autistic and receiving services in her new charter school. She has worked so hard to be on the same level academically with her classmates but some concepts are more difficult to her than others. She loves the computer, and educational apps on our ipod touch but the sound went out and it's too crackly to use much. Her penmanship might need some work and she is working very hard with her speech OT but she would enjoy her time when she is not at school doing "homework"that much more with her new learning apps. My email is jen.fosnight@gmail.com. Thank you!

My son would benefit greatly from having this tool available to him at school and home. He has Asperger's Syndrome and his ability to organize his time, tasks, and materials is affected by his disability. Thank you so much for opening this up for families.marion.king@comcast.net

My son has Autism and is non verbal. proloquo to go and tap to talk have been wonderful apps that have helped him tremendously. i have been saving for an iPad as we just have an iPod touch at the moment. thank you. csdel@comcast.net

My son, Luke has PDD-NOS and is non-verbal. Since beginning ABA at age 2 and then preschool recently, the iPad has been a wonderful tool for him as a reinforcer and as something he enjoys doing. Having access to speech software which would help him better be able to communicate (right now we use signs and PECS) would be absolutely amazing. Because of his lack of speech, he can become frustrated when unable to communicate his wants or needs. Having a device that would help to simplify this for him would be an invaluable asset. Leah leahramsdell630@gmail.com

Hello there! My 3 year old son Jacob was recently diagnosed with Autism (PDD-NOS). With such a late diagnosis I feel so pressed for time to get started with ABA and other therapies that an ipad would be a great addition to working on improving his language skills from what I've heard from other parents. Good luck everyone and best wishes for continuing success with your children! - Xiomara, xiomara.lara1@gmail.com

My 15 year old has Down syndrome and her speech continues to be difficult to understand. Using the iPod touch is too small for speech apps and the iPad would be a amazing thing to use at high school for speech output apps. mario.kamek@gmail.com

I have twin sons Rory and Jared, Age 11 on the spectrum (PDD-NOS). Diagnosed at almost age 3 we have been through tremendous testing and school changes. Both have issues with speech, reading , and comprehension. Rory's speech is still difficult to understand and I am very concerned about his social interactions as he gets older. I truly beleive that an IPAD and the applications will give him more confidence and increase his social interactions. I have been waiting for a opportunity like this since an IPAD is not in our budget. I want my sons to be the best that they can be. Thank you. jcmiller38@gmail.com. Joann Miller.

My son Shaun has mild cerebral palsy which limits the use of his right hand. He's also on the mild end of the autism spectrum with PDD-NOS. I know he would love an iPad since he loves video games, and I'd be able to get him to use his right hand with certain apps that would make it fun therapy for him. Shaun is such an inspiration to me, and his current goal is to make the paralympic soccer team when he's older :) Thanks! julieperry76@yahoo.com

My son Grady is 2 years old and has Fragile X Syndrome. Fragile X Syndrome causes developmental delays, including speech delays. Having an iPad would help Grady to communicate better with those around him. Thank you. christieclarkfriedman@gmail.com

My son is seven years old and has autism. His speech therapist and special ed teacher use iPads with the kids at school and recommend that parents follow through with the same exercises at home. It would be so amazing if we were to win one. Thank you!annie.kelleher@comcast.net

I am writing on behalf of my 7 yo daughter. She has been diagnosed with multiple learning, speech, and pathological disorders that prohibit adequate speech and language development. We are still struggling with letter name and sound recognition. The iPad in her classroom is the only thing that helps her with multi-sensory learning. This would help greatly so I am able to collaborate with the learning techniques that work best for her. All I want, as her mother, is for her to achieve what ever is HER best and I truly believe the iPad would greatly be a huge influence. Thank You. Lilymomofthree@aol.com

My son, Eric, has been diagnosed as de novo; in other words, there is no true diagnosis. His genetic make up has not been found in any of the world-wide databases. He is really one of a kind! He has global delays including being nonverbal. He is attending a LFI (Learning for Independence)class, in which, the staff is learning that he is highly motivated with similar devices like the iPad. It has been highly suggested that he should be using one to give him the chance to show us what he really knows. I would like to give him this opportunity. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Eric's Mom, Jennifer

Hi, My son Davy, is nonverbal diagnosed with autism and has a sleeping disorder and food allergies. We have tried many things but he just won't do it. In October I called his teacher and told her to try the IPAD with him, because my 18yrs old daughter has a laptop and Davy was playing on it. My daughter showed me how fast he learned to use it! We would be so blessed to have an Ipad for Davy!! Thank you so much for the great help you all give to families that are in the same situation as we are. May God give you all many blessings so that you can keep blessing those in need. We have to be happy and give thanks for programs and people like this. Take care and God bless. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

my grand daughter has been deaf since the age of 15 months. she has been fortune enough to be on a pilot program and has had a cochlea implant. she is now playing catch up and doing very well. her only problem area is speech. she is getting better thanks for the i pad at school. She is just starting to be mainstreamed in regular classes and an i pad would be great. I love to get her one but my husband and I are both disabled and we care for my 83 yr old mother who is also deaf. Her parents can't afford one, having two other children with one having speech problems. An I pad would really help both children. Thanks for the chance to maybe win one for my granddaughter age 10, and thanks for giving a child the chance to see and hear the world around them for the first time.Sincerely, tscharis216@cox.net

My son is a 11 year old very smart Autistic boy. I think an an IPad would be very beneficial for his communication needs. He has very limited language. He uses his aide iPad at school as an positive reinforcer. She said he navigate it like a pro. I feel horrible because I'm a single parent and I can't afford to buy one.

My son is a 11 year old very smart Autistic boy. I think an an IPad would be very beneficial for his communication needs. He has very limited language. He uses his aide iPad at school as an positive reinforcer. She said he navigate it like a pro. I feel horrible because I'm a single parent and I can't afford to buy one.

My son autistic and blind...He is almost 13 and has trouble communicating his wants and needs.He gets very frustrated and breaks down crying .He has one at school and it is workinbg well but he is no allowed to bring it home!

That is a disgrace. You need a lawyer or advocate. This is just wrong in so many ways.

Please consider joining www.SPEDWatch.org, even if you don't live in MA. We have a great group of people looking to change the system and we offer lots of practical advice to parents. We are parents and advocates and lawyers all working to make the educational system focus on the needs of the kids, not the administrators' bottom line.

My son, Tim is almost 14 has hypotonic quadriplegia (CP). He is non verbal, and we have tried a variety of communication devices. The bane of all of them seems to be mounting for someone like Tim. (Especially when you are dealing with a $10,000 device that weighs nearly 20 pounds and a child whose mid-line changes throughout the day. Tim has tried an IPad and it lit up his face and intrigued him. So much more than just a communication device to him. timmysmom1298(at)gmail(dot)com

My son is 8 and is multiply disabled and non-verbal. He has limited finer motor skills, but LOVES technology. He plays with anyone's Ipad he can get to and uses it well with any app we have tried with him. This would be a very lightweight speaking option for him as well as help his cognitive and fine motor skills with the educational apps. Thank you for hosting this contest!

My daughter was born at 32 weeks and with Retinoblastoma cancer and 13q.deletion. She has the most severe deletion of any child known. She battled 9 months.of chemo and lost her left eye. We traveled to NYC for 2 seperate treatments. She is now 18 months remission, bilaterally moderate to.seversly deaf, non verbal, has one eye, eat thru a gj tbe in her tummy. She is severly disabled and learnsostly by light. We have gone thru our saving, retirememt to help our child. She.has a PCA full time at home. And receives therapy 3x a week. We (she) could use tge ipad most for learnimg as she.starts school in Jan. This could open up a whole new world for her. Please help us make this happen for her

My son Kyle is 10.5, he uses a Dynavox to communicate, but loves my iPad. I have programmed a button on his device to say, I want to use the iPad. It is helping him with motor skills as he tries to navigate the apps, and with speech as there are so many speech apps to add. Having his own would free up space on mine and we could really focus on speech apps on his.Thanks for this opportunity! Julie Cowan Jrcowan@comcast.net

My daughter who has Down Syndrome would benefit greatly from this. She is having difficulty with Speech. We are trying to get an assistive device but she has missed so much scool due to illness that they have not collected enough data. Due to the fact that we will be moving soon (we are military ) we will have to start the process all over again.

I have two children with disabilities. My son is 13 and has Asperger's. He needs a device to access study tools, organizational tools, homework webpages, etc. He won't open a notebook to reread his notes to study for a test, but he will use an online study website or review an online notebook.

I see that there are many families here in need. Please accept my thanks for holding this raffle, even if my family does no personally benefit.

My son Kian is a bright inquisitive awesome Deaf 2 year old. We had surgery for cochlear implants when he was 13 months old. he is starting to speak a little bit but he relies on point and some sign language to get his needs across. He loves dad's iphone and my laptop. I think an i-pad with assistive language technology may just be the nudge he needs to bridge the gap between sign language/gestures and spoken language.

What you are doing is amazing and I am so gratefulk that there are awesome moms like you out there shining a light for our special children.

I can't afford one. My son who will be ten in February could greatly benefit from it. He's Autistic and non verbal but he listens to music on a smartphone. Pandora and Youtube and I have watched him learn how to use it. Does he do it all the time? No, his IQ is very low but a very loving boy. I know this could help him communicate better not only with me but my family and school. These kids aren't special. They are remarkable at just them being themselves. And to the parents and caregivers, you are superhuman. But as the old saying goes, "God doesn't put no more on you than you can bear". Somedays it seems that way but when the "fog" disappears, you realize that he choose you to be the vessel of unwavering love. God bless each of you for your thankless and tireless efforts for those with the least of these.

My 6 year old daughter has a rare chromosome disorder with global developmental delay. She does not talk, sit or walk independently. She is able to identify objects in school by eye gazing and using her hand to grab or touch items. I think she would benefit greatly from the IPad with this app because she can touch the pictures and would be easily engaged. She uses low tech devices in school in cause and effect activities.

My son Matthew has Inversion duplication 15 along with ADHD, seizures and behavior problems. He can talk but it is very hard to understand him. Especially when he is upset. Most people in his class have one and it has really helped them but we have not been able to get him one yet. Thank you for doing this. Even if it is not my son who gets it- it is still a wonderful thing. bpieloch@optonline.net

My son is hearing impaired and receives intensive speech therapy and early intervention. He would greatly benefit from the speech and language apps for toddlers that are available on an ipad, as well as the access to the family pictures and videos that he likes to "talk" about.

this would be awesome for my 9 yr old son, he has multiple disabilities, he has a trach and has severe hearing loss in one ear and profound in the other, he signs and tries to talk some, but his speech is hard to understand, an ipad would help him both with communication with others that can't sign, plus help with his reading and writing skills, he loves ipads, we have to spend about an hour at the apple store when we go to the mall so he can play on one, he would also be able to facetime his friends so that they can "call" each other, and take advantage of online tutoring with some Deaf educators. he could also create his own stories with pics and videos, it would definetly be a great benefit for him, thank you for the opportunity!

Nicolle is a 17 months old little girl with cerebral palsy and global developmental delay who has difficulty holding toys and she is non-verbal until now but when she was exposed to an Ipad she was able to interact by reaching out touching the screen.laudiceia8@hotmail.com

Hi my daughter is 10 year old. She was 26 wks premature, She have Cerebral Palsy, Cortical Vision inpairment, Developmental Delay among other medical issues, at school the teacher use an Ipad with her She will benefit from the Ipad I dont have the resources to purchase one. Thanks. My email is neissa9194@att.net

Our daughter Lily has Autism. She is 9 years old. Her communication skills are delayed; and she really enjoys using our computer. An I-Pad, like her speech therapist has, would be a dream come true for her. Thank you for considering her.

Our daughter Sierra has Down Syndrome. She is 11 years old and has significant speech delay. She is starting to have issues at school because of lack of communication. An I-Pad would be life changing for my little butterfly.